Summary translation

The fauna of beneficial epigeic arthropods (carabids, staphylinids and spiders) was compared in three different farming systems (integrated intensive, integrated extensive and organic systems) at Burgrain during 1997 to 2002. The predatory insects and spiders were captured with Barber traps. Between the three investigated crops – summer barley, winter wheat and maize – the number of carabid beetles was quite similar. However, the abundance of carabids in the organic farming systems was significantly higher than in the integrated systems. Compared with integrated intensive (100 %), the organic system contained 122 % of carabids, the integrated extensive 108 %. Analysis of the communities showed small differences of species between the farming systems. Altogether 55 species of carabid beetles have been identified. Also staphylinids and spiders were more frequent in the organic plots. More staphylinids were captured in cereals than in maize. The activity of predatory arthropods was measured in the different farming systems with larvae of Galleria mellonella L., placed as baits on the soil. The baits were eaten mainly by larger species of carabid beetles.